On Cursed Winds
by InquisitorDovah
Summary: Centuries after the being sealed away Aeris finds herself awakened in an unfamiliar land covered by a vast ocean and once again she finds herself caught in the crossfire of a divine game millennium in the making. With the lines between good and evil blurred, she finds herself questioning just how far she's willing to push to make things right... And just how far is too far?
1. Catch of the Day?

A/N: Welcome to the Wind Waker sequel to "In the Shadow of the Colossus" If you haven't read that go check it out first. This is a spin-off sequel meaning it isn't meant to be canon to the series and is set in an alternate timeline that deviates from the main story.

I don't plan for this to be long maybe ten chapters at the most.

* * *

There was very little that could surprise Rasea, her life as captain of the 'Moon Struck' had taught her to always expect the unexpected. So when Gael called down from the crow's nest that there was something bobbing in the waves, Rasea called for Jo to get the nets without so much as a sideways glance.

Rasea however was not expecting a woman to tumble out of the large net as Jo and Finn hauled it over the side of the ship.

The woman didn't appear to be breathing as Rasea and her crew rushed to her side. "Shit someone get Adeline!" Rasea shouted as she rolled the woman onto her back, her black hair was plastered to her face and back falling from the ponytail it had been styled in.

"Boss, I don't think she's breathing," Finn, the ships carpenter bless his soul, hovered over Rasea's shoulder.

"I can see that Finn," Rasea began pressing down on the woman's chest, trying her best to recall what Adeline had taught her about resuscitation.

"Shit are those rubies?" Terrin's deep voice cut through Rasea's thoughts and her gaze drifted to the woman's attire. The black gown was drenched with sea water, but the craftsmanship was still visibly exquisite. "Fuck and that's real gold,"

"Move!" Adeline the ship's doctor pushed past Rasea and pressed her ear to the woman's chest. "She's breathing but barely,"

The rest of the crew sat back and watched as Adeline continued compressions on the woman's chest. After what felt like hours, the woman took in a gasping breath and spit sea water onto the ships deck. She bolted upright her hands flying to Adeline's shoulders, green eyes blown wide.

"Hey, you're ok," Adeline rubbed the woman's back softly. "We got you,"

The woman took several heaving breaths here eyes drifting to each of the present crew members before she suddenly slumped forward onto Adeline, unconscious again.

Rasea ran her hands through the ropy strands of her red hair. "Get her to the med bay," Finn moved to lift the woman carefully into his arms. "Ade let me know when she wakes up, dressed like that some is bound to be missing her,"

* * *

The void swallowed her whole, leaving her suspended in her own personal hell. Alone with no sound, not even her own thoughts could pierce the thick inky blackness.

_You failed_

She spun searching for the sudden outburst of noise.

_You tried so hard, but look where it got you_

It was as if hundreds of voices were echoing in her mind, taunting her.

_Can you feel him? Can you feel his turmoil?_

Something deep inside of her twisted violently, sending jolts of pain throughout her being.

_Suffer as he has suffered… That is your punishment…_

The void swallowed her screams

* * *

"I'm telling you there's something strange about her," Rasea rolled her eyes as Adeline wiped the woman's forehead with a wet cloth. "Something about her skin tone, or maybe it's the shape of her face," The woman was still unconscious two days after they had pulled her out of the surf and the whole crew was uneasy.

"It's her ears," Gael pushed her glasses further up the bridge of her nose. "Pointed ears are a rarity but hers are different, longer more reactive to stimuli,"

The woman's face twitched violently and her ears mirrored the reaction. It seemed as though she was having constant nightmares.

"N...no," They all jumped back as the woman thrashed violently. "Please,"

Her voice was heavily accented and Rasea scrunched her nose. "I've never heard an accent like that before," She had been all over the Great Sea but never had she heard someone speak with an accent even close to that. "Gael?"

Rasea's sailing master simply shrugged.

"She's been mumbling for hours," Adeline rewet the cloth. "Sometimes in a strange language, unlike anything I've heard before,"

Rasea threw her hands up. "Strange clothes, strange accent, strange language, who the hell is this woman?"

"My name," The crew spun as the woman slowly sat up and let out a raspy breath. "Is Aeris,"

* * *

"So let me get this straight you don't remember anything but your name?" Rasea crossed her arms and leaned back against the desk in her quarters.

"Nothing," Aeris was lying of course, if she told the truth the crew of this ship was likely to throw her back over board. There was a bit of the truth there though, there were pieces of her past missing and a dark void that filled most of her mind.

She was unsure of how much time had passed when she first woke up, but one look at the vast ocean that now covered the once green land of Hyrule was enough to make her realize that it had been a very long time.

"So what are we going to do with you?" Rasea the captain of this ship was a strong woman, taller than most with dark brown skin and crimson hair wound into thick locks. Aeris wondered if she had Gerudo blood running through her veins. "You're dressed to fancy to be able to put in real work,"

Aeris looked down at the tattered remains of her dress. "I can change clothes," She smiled softly. "I don't know where else to go, I'm willing to do anything," That was the truth. Aeris had no idea how this new world worked or what to do in it. She needed somewhere safe to figure things out, to figure out how she was out of the void of the dark realm and where Ganondorf was if he had managed to free them somehow, or if it had been Demise.

"It won't be easy work," Rasea arched one of her brows. "You'll start as a grunt, doing the dirty work,"

"That's fine," Aeris smiled as she shook Rasea's hand.

* * *

Terrin the ships first mate and quartermaster, who reminded her painfully of Link, showed her around the ship and introduced her to the rest of the crew. It wasn't until he flashed her a crooked smile that guilt reared its ugly head and she realized that it wasn't Link he reminded her of but Kilus. She couldn't think of the knight without a painful stabbing her in the heart making her sick to her stomach.

She had weekly visits to Adeline, the ship's doctor and cook until the woman gave her a clean bill of health. The woman enjoyed having something other than cuts and other minor injuries to attend to, her blue eyes would light up when Aeris would walk into the med bay and she would tie back her black hair ready to try to unlock Aeris' mysteries.

It was during one of these visits that Adeline asked about the zigzag scars littering Aeris abdomen. "Do you remember having children?"

The familiar pain of loss roared in her ears as she smiled and shrugged. "Not really,"

Adeline patted her hand softly and smiled. "It should start coming back to you soon,"

Aeris simply smiled and nodded while trying not to cry.

Once Adeline cleared her to work she spent her first few months either swabbing the deck or working with Jo or Finn. Jo was the ship's gunner, Aeris had never seen anything like the ships cannons before, but she quickly became used to the smell of black powder. She enjoyed Jo's sense of humor and style, her brown hair was cut like a mans and was streaked with blonde from hours in the sun, something Aeris could only dream of pulling off.

Finn was the ships carpenter, he could build anything with a few scraps of wood and a handful of was a broad muscular man with bronze skin and black hair, but he was very sweet. He always tried to make her laugh or smile when she was working with him.

Gael the sailingmaster was interested in Aeris' accent and the "strange" language she sometimes mumbled in. The woman would case after Aeris clutching old scrolls asking a million questions that Aeris couldn't safely answer. She had discreetly asked if any of them had heard of the Gerudo but had been met by blank stares, how was she supposed to tell them she was likely the last person to speak a dead language?

It would be months before she met the final member of the crew, Ryss who she nearly stabbed the first time she saw him. A bird, a man sized bird tapped her lightly on the shoulder while she was swabbing the deck. She screamed which in turn made him scream, which made the rest of the crew come running, thinking that they were under attack.

The Zoras as it turned out no longer existed, they had evolved to take to the skies once the world flooded. Which made no sense to Aeris as Zora's and water were synonymous, but she learned to not question things too much.

Slowly but surely Aeris settled into her new life, but there were nights that Rasea or another member of the crew would find her leaning against the ship's railing staring out into the dark churning waters with a far away look on her face. She would jump or shy away from their hands as they reached out to her, but she would shake it off and smile reassuring them that she was fine.

She enjoyed the crew of the ship, but they were also useful to her.

Gael ever the scholar was more than willing to recant the tale of Hyrule's triumph and eventual downfall, but it made Aeris' blood boil to hear Ganondorf blamed and Link hailed as the conquering hero. There was no mention of her or that she had been the one to bind both Ganondorf and the spirit of Demise so that they could be purged and sealed.

No matter how badly she wanted to scream that the story was wrong she couldn't. Not until she had all the pieces of the puzzle.


	2. Where We Will We'll Roam

Aeris hated seagulls, with their tiny beady eyes and incessant need to shit on the deck she had just finished swabbing. It wasn't uncommon for the rest of the crew to sit back and watch her chase a flock of the pest around the ship with a mop or broom.

It was during one of these fateful encounters that Ryss made the unfortunate decision to land behind her. The moment his talons hit the deck she whirled around and the poor Rito got a beak full of wet mop. "Fucking hell!" The rest of the crew fell into peels of laughter as Ryss fell back clutching his beak.

"Shit," Aeris extended her hand to the downed Rito and helped him back to his feet. "My bad,"

"What the hell were you swinging at?" Ryss rubbed the crest of his beak.

"Seagulls," Her eyebrow twitched slightly.

"With intent to kill?" Ryss' yellow eyes held both confusion and concern.

"Yes," Aeris blinked slowly and the Rito took a tentative step back.

Rasea approached the pair still laughing softly to herself. "Alright Aeris, I know he looks like one but Ryss isn't a seagull," The captain turned to Ryss, suddenly serious. "What news do you have from Windfall?"

"Strange things are happening," Aeris' ears perked up as the Rito nodded his head solemnly. "At least two girls have been kidnapped by a monstrous bird, no one knows why or where they've been taken," He turned to Aeris suddenly. "Both girls had pointed ears that's the only connection between them,"

"Well that is rather odd," She leaned heavily on her mop. Her hearing turned to static as Rasea and Ryss continued discussing the disappearances.

For months she had been searching for any sign of either Ganondorf or Demise and girls with pointed ears being kidnapped was far to specific of a trait for her not to look into it.

"Ho!" Gael suddenly called down from the crow's nest. "Windfall is on the horizon, we'll be there before nightfall!"

Aeris leaned her mop against the railing of the ship and stared into the horizon. The wind whipped through her hair, something was coming.

* * *

There was another large ship docked near the island, as they approached Rasea sighed. "Of fucking course,"

"Something wrong?" Aeris came to stand beside Rasea, while the rest of the crew bustled around them.

"Tetra and her crew are here," Rasea shook her head sending the ropy red strands flying. "Cocky little bitch,"

"Something tells me you don't like this Tetra," Aeris laughed lightly as Rasea sighed again.

"It's not that I don't like her," The pair leaned against the railing. "I was her at one point, I was about her age when I inherited the 'Moon Struck'. She has a good heart, but she tries to hard not to seem weak,"

Aeris nodded, she knew the feeling. "So she's young,"

"Very," Rasea turned to her and pulled a red bundle of cloth from her back pocket. "Here to cover your ears,"

Aeris took the cloth and unfolded it, it was a red bandanna similar to the one Rasea wore. "Thanks," She tied the fabric around her head, careful to cover the tips of her ears, better safe than sorry.

They watched as Jo and Finn lowered the plank so the crew could disembark the ship. "Come on," Rasea clapped her hand on Aeris' back. "Let's see how you do on dry land,"

* * *

The sun was rapidly descending beyond the waves of the horizon as Aeris set foot on solid ground for the first time in months. The fact that the earth wasn't swaying under her feet was slightly disorienting.

She followed behind the rest of the crew as they made their way through the leveled marketplace. She listened as they laughed and shoved each other, happy to finally be away from the ship for a time.

"You there, miss!" She turned her head to see a disheveled man stumbling toward her. His clothing was tattered and his skin was smudged with dirt. "You travel on that ship don't you?"

The rest of the crew were too absorbed in their laughter to notice that Aeris was no longer beside them. "I do,"

"Oh thank heavens!" The man stumbled slightly as he came to a stop in front of her. "Oh, please! Please help me! Please listen to my tale of woe!" She didn't give her time to answer before launching into his tale. "Ooh, hoo hoo! My sweet, sweet daughter! My only daughter! Poor Maggie... She was captured by a bunch of villains and taken to the Forsaken Fortress! What on earth could those scoundrels want with her? Are they just roaming around looking for young maidens? Are they just evil creatures who delight in mischief?"

This was the first she was hearing of a Forsaken Fortress, but her heart still went out to this man. "I'm very sorry,"

"You have to go and save her!" He gripped the front of her vest and shook her slightly. "You can take your ship and go and save her!" She tried to step back as he began laughing. "A group of pirates like you would give those scoundrels in the Forsaken Fortress a good scare! They'll pay for what they've done! Oh, yes! Pay!"

She took the man's hands in her own. "I'm sorry but you'd have to talk to my captain, and she doesn't like doing anything without pay upfront,"

"Well, crud! Having a kidnapped daughter doesn't get you a single Rupee, you know..." The sudden change in the man's demeanor had her head spinning as he walked away from her.

"Aeris!" She turned to see Adeline standing at the base of the main staircase leading into the town. "Come on!"

"Coming!" She jogged toward the small woman and followed as she began to make her way back into the town.

"What was that about?"

"His daughter is one of the girls who got kidnapped," Aeris looked over her shoulder to see the man slumped against a tree near the town entrance. "He said she was taken to the Forsaken Fortress,"

"The Forsaken Fortress?" Adeline scoffed. "That place has been abandoned for awhile now, another crew of pirates use to hole up there but that was years ago," She shrugged. "I guess someone new moved in,"

As they passed what looked like a makeshift merchant stall a chorus of voices could be heard shouting more than singing a sea shanty. "Stormy oceans carry us to lands we've never known,"

Adeline lead Aeris up a narrow set of stairs and into a tavern of sorts. "To mysteries and buried secrets from the tales of old!"

The room they entered was warm and filled with men and women clapping and cheering along with the shanty. "So hoist the sail and raise the flag, we do not stop for night!"

Rasea was spinning with a young blonde girl perched on her shoulder a pint was held high by both of them as they belted out the lyrics. "We'll ride the wild winds and waves until the morning's light!"

Adeline took a pint from Jo and joined in the song. "In smuggler's caves and tavern halls, we live by no man's rules!"

Aeris didn't know the lyrics but she clapped along to the rhythm set by stomping feet and clinking pints. It was nice to be surrounded by so much mirth, it reminded her fondly of the festivals.

She was handed a pint from an unfamiliar face she took it and sipped the amber liquid within gingerly. She had never been fond of ale, she much preferred the sweetness of wine, but she couldn't deny the energy of the room.

She scanned the room, Jo and Adeline were dancing an upbeat jig that made Adeline skirts whirl around her. Finn had a young barmaid on his lap, she was laughing as he stomped his feet in rhythm with the song. Gael was speaking with a short man with a pair of glasses similar to her own, both of them seemingly uninterested with the merriment around them. Terrin was in the corner sawing away on a fiddle, sweat poured down his face as he played but he kept tempo effortlessly.

She smiled as she watched the group, swaying gently with the music until she caught sight of a figure in the far corner of the room. She nearly dropped the pint of ale in her hands as her blood ran cold. Sitting alone in the corner of the room was a man wrapped in a thick black cloak, the hood was pulled over his eyes and only a sliver of a sly grin was visible.

Her feet seemed to move on their own as the sound of the room faded away. She handed the pint to a random patron whose hands were empty, someone should enjoy the drink. The hooded man followed her with his eyes as she approached until she slid into the seat across from him.

"Can I help you?" His voice was deep and raspy, like a shadow sliding through a dark night.

"You looked lonely," She still wasn't sure what she was doing. "Figured I would keep you company,"

"How kind," He chuckled and raised a pale hand to summon a barmaid. "I'll buy you a drink," The barmaid quickly appeared from the crowd her face flush. "A glass of your strongest whiskey and a nice red for the lady," The thought of a nice wine after so long piqued her interest. "I hope that's fine,"

"Perfect," No matter how she turned her head she couldn't seem to catch a glimpse of the man's eyes.

The room roared as the song they had been ended and a new one began with little to no pause. "What will we do with a drunken sailor!"

"So how does a lady like you end up with pirates?" He took his drink from the barmaid and sipped it gently.

She shrugged and took her own drink thanking the maid as she did. "They fished me out of the sea, been with them ever since," She could sense his next question and saved him the trouble of asking. "Don't remember much from before,"

"Remember being married?" He was still sipping the whiskey, clearly taking more time with it than anyone else in the room would have.

She paused mid sip and sent a quick glance to where her left hand rested on the table, the outline of her wedding ring was still visible. "Vaguely,"

He set his glass down on the table and crossed his hands prepared to ask another question, but something slammed into Aeris' back. Her glass shattered as it hit the table, the deep red liquid within soaked into the wood leaving a blood like stains. A hand raked through her hair, ripping the bandanna around her head away.

As she turned to confront the perpetrator, she saw that a full on brawl had broken out between the two pirate crews, though Rasea and the young blonde from earlier were nowhere to be seen.

She sighed and turned back to the man, but found his seat empty. Only an empty glass and small pile of rupees were left as proof that he had been there at all. She was sure that he hadn't walked past her, but then again the room was chaos.

"Aeris!" Gael's small voice caught her attention and she turned just in time for a chair to slam into her, the impact knocked her from her chair and the wood splintered around her.

With a growl she heaved herself from the wreckage and threw herself headlong into the brawl.

* * *

A/N: Can we talk about and almost 30 year old Aeris chasing seagulls with a mop, because I have no idea where that came from... She's a bit unhinged at this point but I think she has a free pass to be a little crazy.

Who was the hooded stranger? What was he doing on Windfall?

I've fallen in love with the crew of the "Moon Struck" and this may end up being longer than I wanted just so I don't have to say goodbye to them so soon. The next chapter might just be some development on them, I dunno. I just do what ever my muse tells me to.


	3. And Then There Was a Giant Pigeon

Aeris stirred, her head was split with the familiar dull ache of a hangover. She groaned as she rolled over, spending the night curled up on the deck of the "Moon Struck," made her back ache as if some lazy torturer was standing right behind her, only applying enough pressure to be an annoyance.

She brought her hand up to rub her face, but withdrew it with a hiss when her thumb brushed across her eye. The bruise that had begun as a purple stain above her right eyebrow had sunk into the socket itself, leaving a lovely shiner.

Her lip was split and swollen, and the taste of blood still lingered in her mouth. "Oh good, you're alive," The sound of Rasea's voice sent a spike of pain through her skull. "Why didn't you tell me you could fight like that?"

Aeris groaned and flopped back down onto the wooden planks of the deck. "It never came up," She took the cup of water that Rasea offered her and chugged it. "How's Ade?" She didn't remember much about the brawl, but she could vaguely remember saving Adeline from a large sailor.

"She's good, Jo's with her," Rasea helped Aeris to her feet.

The world spun as Aeris leaned against Rasea. "That's good,"

"We're shoving off in an hour, finish sobering up and get ready," Aeris groaned and watched as Rasea disappeared below deck.

She scanned the area and spotted Finn holding the mast for support. "Stop fucking moving!" Aeris tried not to laugh as the man screamed at the sky.

She made her way over to him on slightly wobbly legs. "You alright?"

"The sky won't stop fucking moving," The man grunted before suddenly bolting to the edge of the ship and emptying the liquid contents of his stomach into the sea.

Aeris winced and left the dark skinned man to his own devices, her mouth still felt like she was swallowing around cotton and the thick taste of iron was overwhelming, she needed to find water and then a bath.

* * *

Aeris had never been particularly fond of heights, but there was something about the way that the wind whipped through her hair when she was in the crow's nest that made her feel alive.

Seeing the sea spreading for miles in every direction made her feel ridiculously small, not unlike the way standing the desert had once made her feel. But, where the desert winds had been dry and scorching, the ocean air covered her in a salty mist that left her clothes constantly damp.

"Holy shit!" Aeris jerked her head towards where Finn stood at the bow of the ship. "What the fuck is that!"

She followed his pointed finger to see a massive shape on the horizon, the air was being beaten by colossal black feathers tipped in crimson, white, and grey. "Get the cannons ready!" Rasea took hold of the ships wheel.

Aeris had seen the monsters of the Great Sea, a few scattered bokoblins and octoroks, but she'd never seen anything as large as this bird. As it approached the four green and orange plumes of its tail feathers flexed with each beat of its massive wings.

Jo scrambled for the ships canon. "Finn, get over here!"

Finn jumped into action and helped Jo position the cannon, and began hauling the dense cannonballs over to it. Aeris had to grip the railing of the crow's nest as Rasea spun the wheel of the ship sending it careening to the port side.

The bird was close enough for her to see that what she had thought to be a crest was actually a helmet of sorts. It spread its massive wings and screeched before tucking into a rapid dive towards the ship.

"Aeris!" Rasea's voice was almost cut out by a harsh shriek from the massive bird. "I'd start climbing down!"

The wind was whipping through her hair, pulling it from the high ponytail as she scrambled down the ladder. Panic washed over her as her foot slipped and she had to grip the ladder tightly to keep herself from falling.

A sudden canon shot shook the ship below her and the smell of black powder filled the air. Her ears were still ringing as the bird screeched again, Jo had missed.

She looked up just as a giant scaled talon wrapped around her, the air was pulled from her lungs as she was slammed against the mast and a loud crack cut through the air as the top of the mast crumbled into the sea.

"Aeris!" Rasea sounded helpless as the bird lifted the Hylian's limp form and jetted into the clear skies.

* * *

A Gerudo curse slipped past her lips as she slowly regained consciousness, something was holding her, tightly wrapping her in a tight cocoon. She struggled against it and opened her eyes to find the waves of the Great Sea sprawled beneath her.

She shrieked, suddenly thankful for the large birds talons, a fall from this height even into the water below would be fatal.

The sun was slowly setting as she began shivering violently, her thin clothes did little to keep the biting wind away from her skin. They had been just west of Northern Triangle Island when the bird had appeared, but she had no idea where they were now or where she was being taken.

The man on Windfall had said that his daughter had been taken to the Forsaken Fortress, it was likely a safe bet that was where the bird was taking her, but that was a four day sail at the least from Windfall.

The bird was moving much faster than a ship could, with each beat of its monstrous wings they were propelled further into the open air, further away from her friends, if they were smart they would think her dead, better her than them.

She watched as the sun finally sank below the horizon leaving the world steeped in darkness. The bird above her screeched as a structure rose from behind the waves. Spotlights lit the surrounding seas with yellow light, while the main structure appeared to be a massive dead tree, with the wrecked stern of a ship perched on its top most point.

She screamed as the bird tossed her into the air and caught her in its beak by her vest. The thin fabric of her vest wasn't designed to hold her weight like this, she heard the seam pop and she dropped a few inches.

Fear ripped through her as she tried to grip the birds beak, using her upper body strength to keep herself from falling. The wind whipped through her hair as the bird circled the island, before hovering just in front of the wrecked ship.

The bird cocked its head to the side tipping her dangerously, her vest was digging inter her arms as it struggled to hold her and her fingers were slipping off of the smooth surface of the birds beak.

The bird seemed to be waiting for something as it hovered, the door of what would have been the captains quarters remained closed. The bird made a soft raspy noise and Aeris' eyes widened as a figure materialized from the shadows on the deck.

The hood it wore was strikingly familiar and so was the pale smirk visible underneath it. The man nodded slowly and the bird lurched back into motion, it circled the island again before slowly descending into the trunk of the tree.

Its talons clicked on the stone floor as it landed and Aeris was immediately seized by a large pig like monster, a moblin. The creatures had evolved since she had faught one, they were smaller and faster, but no less stupid.

She kicked out landing a solid blow against the monsters chest, it grunted and grabbed her by her hair. "No, fight Moe…" Aeris stopped struggling as the moblin spoke, she'd never heard a monster speak before.

She stared at it wide eyed as it grabbed her by the shoulder and threw her into a cage in the corner of the room, she hit the stone floor and rolled painfully. She felt a small hand on her back as she groaned, her ribs felt like fire. "Are you alright?"

She turned to see a young girl with rusty brown hair in ratty clothes kneeling beside her. "You must be Maggie," She groaned as she sat up.

The girls eyes widened. "How did you know that?"

"I spoke with your father on Windfall," She let out a cry of pain as another girl slammed into her.

"Did you speak to my father?" A young blonde girl in a pink dress with jewels in her hair shook Aeris' shoulders. "Are you here to rescue us?"

Aeris groaned again it was hard to breathe. "Do I look like I'm in any shape to be rescuing anybody?" The blonde pouted and moved to let Aeris breathe. "I'm in the same boat you are,"

"So what's going to happen to us?" Maggie sounded terrified and Aeris would have been lying if she didn't feel the same way.

Aeris rose to her feet, standing made the pain in her ribs a bit more bearable. "I don't know," She turned to the girls and tried to give them a reassuring smile. "But, I won't let anything bad happen to either of you,"

She gripped the bars of the cell and tried to look up the spiral staircase, Whoever was up there would have to show themselves eventually, and she would be ready when they did.


	4. Who Invited the Flock of Seagulls?

Aeris bared her teeth as the moblin guard approached the cell, she put herself firmly between the door and the two girls behind her. She stood frozen, ready to pounce, as the moblin slid three trays of food through the bars.

She watched the moblin retreat back into the shadows before sighing and shifting out of her defensive stance. "Alright girls,"

Maggie and Mila surged forward, each grabbing one of the trays and digging in. Aeris slowly made her way to their sides and picked up the third tray, the slop could barely be considered food but it was better than starving.

There was a screech from far above them the bird had returned once again likely with another girl in its clutches. She backed the girls into the corner of the cell and once again used herself to shield them from anyone who might enter the cell.

There was a blast of air as the bird descended into the room, a young girl was gripped tightly in one of its taloned feet, a flock of seagulls followed closely behind. The young girl's hair was falling from twin blonde ponytails and tears streamed down her cheeks. She screamed as the moblin seized her and tried to struggle against him but was too weak to do any real damage to the monster.

The moblin set her just inside of the cell door and slammed it behind her, the girl jumped and dissolved into broken sobs. Aeris sighed and slowly approached the girl. "Hey," The girl jumped at the sound of her voice. "That's a pretty dress," The dress the girl wore was a pale blue with two red flowers on it.

The girl hiccuped softly as Aeris settled onto the floor beside her. "Thank you,"

Aeris gently ran her fingers through the girls hair. "My name is Aeris, what's yours?"

"Aryll," The girl, Aryll, stared up at Aeris with wide blue eyes. "Where are we?"

Aeris sighed, unsure of how to explain to the young girl what was happening. "I don't know sweetie,"

"That's okay," Aryll smiled as she wiped her tears away. "My big brother is going to come rescue me," Aeris watched the girl reach through the bars and softly stroke a seagulls head. "He'll rescue all of us,"

She smiled softly. "What's your brother's name?"

Aryll smiled widely. "Link,"

Aeris tried her best to smile as the girl turned back to her seagulls.

* * *

There was a loud sound above them and Aeris rushed to push the girls into the corner of the cell once more, shushing them so she could listen.

"Two new ones in a week," A deep male voice spoke first, it was murky as if he was speaking through water.

"Two?" The second voice sent chills down Aeris' spine. It was deeper than the first, more mature, something about it tickled the back of her mind. "Why wasn't I made aware of this?"

"This first is," The first man paused. "Special, I wanted you to see her first hand,"

Aeris gripped the bars of the cell with one hand and braced the other against the wall she bent her knees ready to launch herself at anyone who entered the cell. "I'm scared," She turned to Aryll and smiled softly.

"I know sweetie," She turned back to face the stairs. "But, I won't let anything happen to you,"

The first man to appear was lithe and clad in a black tunic, his skin was deathly pale and his hair as black as a crows feathers. Aeris had to hold back a startled gasp as the man's face turned to face the girls. His eyes glowed crimson, but his face was painfully familiar.

She wasn't sure how it was possible but the man had Link's face.

Her grip on the bars tightened as the second man appeared, he was massive and wore a black and red robe with golden accents swirling across the sleeves that swept the floor as he walked.

Her breath caught in her throat as his head finally became visible. He was older, his hair no longer cascaded down his back in crimson waves and his crown was nowhere to be seen, but there was no denying who the man was.

The men stopped at the bottom of the stairs and Aeris lip quivered as the smaller man smirked. "Have a look," He nodded toward the cage causing the black cap on his head to flop to the side.

Aeris' resolve broke as Ganondorf stopped just short of the bars, the exhaustion melted from his face as his golden eyes landed on Aeris. His head whipped around to the other man who cackled darkly.

The laughter died in his throat as he was slammed against the stone wall, black blood trickled from the corner of his mouth. "What is this?" Ganondorf growled. "What game are you playing?"

The smaller man wheezed. "No game," He gripped Ganondorf's wrist tightly. "Its her, ask her yourself,"

The man collapsed into a heap as Ganondorf dropped him and turned back to the cage. Aeris rose slowly, the girls tried to stop her but she pulled away from them and approached the bars. Her heart was hammering in her chest as he came closer. "Tell me this isn't another dream," His voice was pained as he stepped up to the bars.

A tear slipped down her cheek as she reached through the bars and ran her fingers across his face. "I don't think so love,"

She turned as the lock to the cell clicked open, the dark copy of Link was standing with the door open smirking lightly at them. "Well do you want to stay in the cage or what?"

Aeris smiled as she stepped out of the cage and punched the man squarely in the jaw. "If you would have just told me who you were on Windfall I would have come here willingly," The man kept a hand on his jaw as he watched her saunter to Ganondorf. "We have a lot to talk about,"

Ganondorf nodded solemnly and took her hand in his to lead her up the stairs.

* * *

The door hadn't even fully closed behind them before she was swept into his arms and he sank to the floor cradling her tightly against his chest. "You're really here," His breath brushed against her ear as she buried her face into his robes.

"And so are you," She clung to him like he could blow away at any moment. "Are you alright?" She pulled away to examine his face. The years had not been kind to him, but she was sure they hadn't been kind to her either.

Deep lines were etched into his brow and the corners of his eyes, he looked exhausted. "I should be asking you that," He took her hands into his and kissed them softly.

She leaned into him and smiled. "It doesn't matter anymore," She looked up at him. "You're here now,"

His arms wrapped tightly around her and she settled into their warmth, finally feeling at ease in this strange world.


	5. Calm Waters

Aeris stood in the shadows of the room with her arms crossed as she leaned against the far wall watching Ganondorf and the shadowy man as they huddled around the large map on the table in the center of the room.

It had been strange to watch the two men at first. The smaller of the two, who appeared to literally be made of tangible shadows, simply referred to himself as Dark and refused to tell her anything of his origins, and Aeris could go on for hours about how Ganondorf had changed.

It had taken her a while to get over his hair being cut, she missed running her fingers through the crimson locks. And, he had put on weight, his hips were no longer as narrow as they had been and his muscles had lost some of their density.

So much was different but sometimes she would catch a glimpse of a smirk or he would do something that reminded her of when they were young and the years and lines would melt away from his face for just a moment.

She lived for those moments.

"Unless she's on a ship, there's nowhere else to search," Dark crossed his arms and stepped away from the map. "And I'm getting a headache staring at this damn thing,"

Ganondorf stood with both hands splayed on the table staring at the map intently. "She's here somewhere?"

"What makes you so sure?"

Both Aeris and Ganondorf cast a glance to Ganondorf's right hand, the Triforce of Power still glowed dimly against the sepia tones of his skin. "I can feel her,"

Aeris thought that she understood what he ment, something like she felt with him. A slight tugging in her soul always guiding her toward him.

The Triforce wanted to be whole again.

Aeris watched idly as Ganondorf suddenly flipped the map table with a roar and Dark had to step through the shadows to avoid being hit by it.

She watched his hands twitch, but only stepped in when a low growl filled the room. "Leave us,"

Dark's head snapped toward her as if he had forgotten she was there. The man nodded and sank into a puddle of shadows at his feet, leaving no sign he had been there at all.

She stepped toward Ganondorf slowly. "Gan,"

He turned toward her, another low growl falling from his lips. His eyes were glowing dimly and she knew he was trying to fight the rage building in his chest.

"Look at me," He turned away from her, his shoulders hunched. "Gan," She said his name softly as she approached him.

He shied away from her hand as she extended it toward him. "Breathe,"

He laughed suddenly, a deep sound that rumbled in his chest. "Is it that easy for you? You just breathe and it goes away?"

"It helps," She took his hand gently.

"I can't remember what that's like," He traced her face lightly with his finger. "I can't remember what being normal feels like,"

"Neither can I," She cupped his face with her hands. "But, you've always been extraordinary,"

He snorted and buried his face into her hands. "Have I?"

"I may be biased," They laughed together and lapsed into an easy silence.

"Are you scared of me?" He pulled back from her. "Of what I've become?"

She searched his face, trying to find the right words. "I am," Her heart ached as his shoulders sagged. "But, at the same time I'm not," She looked into his dulled golden eyes. "I am because it's different, but, at the same time I'm not because I know as long as I'm alive there will be someone to fight for the good in you,"

He touched his forehead to hers and sighed. "What did I do to deserve you?"

"I'm not exactly sure," She laughed lightly. "I'm sure it was something pretty great thought,"

There was a soft knock at the door and Aeris turned her head to glare at it. "What, Dark!"

Instead of the door swinging open a puddle of shadow slid under and Dark emerged from its inky depths. "Sorry to interrupt your moment, but I caught one of the moblins with an arm load of skull necklaces again,"

Ganondorf let out an exasperated sigh and muttered something into the top of Aeris' head. "I have to deal with this,"

He stepped away from Aeris and she smiled at him. "Go, I'll be here,"

She watched him follow Dark out of the room and sighed. _'I'll always be here,'_

* * *

Aeris stood on the balcony outside of Ganondorf's quarters. The night wind whipped through her hair and she sighed deeply. Sleep continuously eluded her, no matter how hard she tried.

"Do you ever sleep?" She looked up to where Dark suddenly appeared behind her.

"Do you?" She watched wearily as he moved to stand beside her. His uncanny similarity to Link still made her skin crawl.

"There's a lot of things I don't do," He stared out into the crashing waves for a moment before turning to her. "Can I ask you a question?"

She nodded softly. "Ask away,"

"What was he like?"

She turned to look at him. "Gan?" When Dark said nothing she sighed.

Dark rarely spoke to her directly and the fact that he was asking her such a serious question surprised her. "You want me to tell you about Link?"

Something in Dark's face twitched at the name. "I guess I do,"

She thought for a moment unsure of how to proceed for the second time that day. "He was kind," She bit her lip as she tried to think of a way to describe Link. "But, broken. He was a child trapped in a mans body and it took a toll on him,"

Dark was still staring blankly at the sea when he spoke again. "I was made from him you know,"

When Aeris didn't respond Dark sighed and turned to face her, his crimson eyes burning brightly. "When they sealed him in the Sacred Realm they took things from him," He said 'him' as if the actual name would burn him. "All those little things that they didn't deem hero material, they took them and cast them aside,"

Aeris was horrified as she realized where Dark's story was heading. "Something, I'm not really sure what, found those pieces and stitched them together to make me," He chuckled darkly. "His mirror image. The dark to his light,"

"Dark that's —"

"Horrible, I know," He smirked as he turned to look back out at the sea. "What's worse is, I have some of his memories. Not full images, bits and pieces of smaller pieces," He took a shaky breath. "A can see a little girl with green hair, and what I assume is Castle Town, a woman in a red dress,"

Aeris took Dark's hand from where it was gripping the railing. "Life is cruel," She looked him in the eye. "Those of us that get dealt shitty hands just have to fight harder,"

He nodded slowly and sank back into the shadows leaving Aeris alone with her thoughts once again.

* * *

A/N: I wrote this completely using my phone so I'm sorry for any issues.

Ganondorf is struggling to deal with leftover emotions

Dark is a wreck

Aeris is too, but she's having to hold everything together

Somedody get these people a strong alcoholic drink with a tiny umbrella and a hug


	6. Crashing Waves

A/N: um, smut ahead... so enjoy... I guess?

* * *

Aeris sighed deeply as she rolled over, the bed she was in was deceptively soft and she had nearly cried with joy the first time she had laid in it. After months of sleeping in a hammock or on the floor, a real bed had been a godsend, And the man that came with it was a happily welcomed bonus.

She groaned as a weak breeze passed through the room It was one of the rare summer nights where the heat and humidity were nearly too much to bear. Even completely naked she could find little relief from the stifling heat.

With a pathetic sound, she rolled onto her stomach and huffed a deep breath into the pillow. She was just uncomfortable in general, she was hot and sweaty and the sheets were sticking to her skin making her just miserable all around.

The bed behind her dipped heavily as a sudden weight was added to it. She would have felt vulnerable had she not been sure of who it was.

A hand traced her left leg softly sending a welcome chill through her before moving up to lightly cup the swell of her hips. His fingers dancing over her skin was a welcome distraction

She sighed heavily as his other hand joined the first rubbing light circles just above the crests of her hips. She was soaking up each touch no matter how small.

He barely let himself touch her these days, at first, she had been self-conscious, thinking that maybe she was the reason. Maybe her hips had spread too much or she had put on too much weight. But she slowly realized that he was afraid. He was terrified of losing control of himself in the heat of a moment.

Another small sigh escaped her as he placed a soft kiss just above her tailbone. "What do you think you're doing mister?"

She turned to see him kneeling behind her, his robe discarded, leaving him in the loose-fitting pants he wore under it. He himself had put on some weight, he was still unbelievably muscular, but he was thicker now and softer.

"Loving my wife, " His voice still sent chills down her spine.

He continued kissing his way up her spine, each small open-mouthed kiss made her shiver. As he reached her shoulders he peppered small kisses over her shoulder blades before making his way up her neck and across her jaw. "Is that alright?" There was a need in his voice that made her toes curl.

She nodded slowly and he gently lifted her hips to flip her onto her back. Once she was settled she wrapped one of her legs loosely around his hip and brought him closer to her.

His eyes held uncertainty as he looked down at her and his hands trembled slightly as he held her hips. She smiled up at him and brought her hands to his face, running her fingers through his beard as she did.

She pulled him toward her and placed a soft kiss on his lips. "I trust you, "

He crashed back into her devouring her lips with his own. She hummed happily against him and brought her other leg up, trapping him against her. She had missed this, missed feeling him pressed against her.

He pulled away from her slowly, his golden eyes closed and a small smirk on his lips. "You always have,"

"I always will," She kissed the end of his nose softly and giggled as he went crossed to look at her.

He pressed his forehead to hers, the gem between his brow was cool against her skin. They sat there soaking each other in, perfectly at ease and content with just being together.

"Ganondorf there's a -" Dark's voice suddenly cut through the silence and Aeris peered over Ganondorf's shoulder to see Dark standing at the foot of the bed with the first hint of color in his skin she had ever seen, bright crimson stained his cheeks.

She squealed and grabbed at the blanket as Dark spun away apologizing profusely. Ganondorf's eyebrow twitched seconds before he leaped from the bed and grabbed Dark by the back of the neck. He forced the hero's shadow out of the room and slammed the door behind them.

Aeris burst into a fit of laugher at the absurdity of what had just happened, poor Dark probably didn't even realize what he had just interrupted. She slipped out of the bed and padded over to where clothes laid in a heap on the floor.

As she slid into her clothes on she could hear Ganondorf yelling at Dark and she giggled to herself, the poor kid, if he was half as innocent as Link had been he was likely scarred for life. She made herself presentable and threw her hair into a ponytail before retrieving Ganondorf's robe and following the two out into the night.

She found them on top of the broken ship looking out over the horizon. Dark flushed again as he saw her climbing the staircase and refused to meet her gaze as she approached. Ganondorf was almost visibly fuming as he stared at a certain point on the horizon.

Aeris chuckled as she draped Ganondorf's robe over his shoulders and she turned to Dark. "You're alright Dark, no harm done,"

Ganondorf scoffed as he tied his robe. "No harm done? I'd like to hear you say that if he had come in five minutes later,"

Dark flushed and even deeper crimson and Aeris rolled her eyes. "I seem to recall a time where the possibility of being caught was half the fun,"

Ganondorf faltered and turned away from her. "That was a long time ago,"

She laughed and wrapped her arms around his middle. "A long time ago indeed," She turned back to Dark. "Now what was so important?"

Dark cleared his throat. "There's a ship anchored just past the reef," He pointed to said ship and Aeris immediately recognized it.

"That's Tetra's ship. What the hell is she doing out here?" Aeris stepped forward and tried to see what the crew of the ship was doing.

Just as she was about to turn back to Ganondorf a high-pitched cry rang out across the water. She spun back toward the ship just in time to see a young boy dressed in green smack against the side of the Fortress.

"Did they just," Aeris watched as the boy fell into the Fortresses loading bay. "Shoot a small child out of a catapult?"

The two men on the roof with her burst into laughter, it was nice to hear Ganondorf's deep baritone of a laugh again. "Should I send some of the Moblins to retrieve him?" Dark wiped a tear from his eyes.

"No," Ganondorf chuckled. "If he's determined enough to be shot out of a catapult to get here, let him come," He took Aeris' hand and began leading her back down into their room. "Let me know if he makes any notable progress before dying,"

"Yes, sir," Dark nodded and moved to the edge of the broken ship to watch the boys progress.

"And Dark," Ganondorf paused turning back to his underling. "Make sure you knock this time,"

Dark's cheeks flushed again as Ganondorf scooped up Aeris and threw her over his shoulder. "Definitely knock this time," Aeris laughed as she was carried down the stairs.

Once the door was closed behind them Ganondorf dumped Aeris onto the bed and began untying his robe. "Now where were we?"

She tapped her chin in mock thought. "Let's see," She bit her lip and slipped her tube top over her head. "Somewhere around here," She surged forward and used the edge of his robe to pull him close to her.

Their lips collided in a rough kiss as they toppled onto the bed, in a flurry of limbs, they fought to remove each other's remaining clothes. His robe was discarded followed closely by her loose-fitting pants. "I swear to the Goddess if anyone stops me from fucking you again, I'll kill them,"

She groaned as he nipped at her collarbone, she didn't doubt his words as he growled against her skin. His hands roamed her bare skin, groping the supple skin of her hips and thighs, each touch was fire, sending pure heat pooling to her stomach.

"Pants, now," She panted against his shoulder desperately needing more of him to be open to her.

"Someone's demanding," He chuckled as he kicked his pants off. He hadn't thought that she needed him this badly, but a single look at her panting under him proved him wrong.

"Shut up," She had missed him more than she thought possible and it wasn't until now that she realized how much of him she had missed. "I've waited too damn long for this,"

She gripped his face pulling him down to meet her halfway. A groan bubbled from deep within his chest, he pulled her closer against his chest craving the feel of her skin against his.

He deepened the kiss, taking her bottom lip between his teeth and suckling on it softly. A small whimper escaped from her as she desperately gripped his hair. "Fuck I miss your hair,"

He chuckled against her mouth and grabbed her legs before bringing them up to wrap around his waist, pressing her even closer to him, making him groan deeply. She responded by rolling her hips teasingly against his.

They both hissed as he brushed against her, wetness and warmth pooled between her legs inviting him in. "Please," He nearly whimpered in her ear sending a shockwave through her, she had never heard him sound so needy before.

She shifted her hips allowing him better access which he took as an invitation to move forward. She gasped as his tip brushed against her folds, he teased her entrance, spreading some of the slick fluid there over himself.

She growled, suddenly impatient, she took the situation into her own hands and bucked her hips up forcing him inside of her. He groaned and bowed his head against her shoulder as her warmth suddenly enveloped him. "Sands, woman," His voice was low and guttural as he panted against her.

She gripped his shoulders as if her life depended on it, she wasn't used to his size anymore but the pain swirled with the pleasure so well she could have cried. "Move," She flexed her thighs begging him to move. "Please,"

He pulled back slowly giving her a moment to compose herself before pushing back into her. He moved against her slowly, each languid thrust drew a new lewd sound from her. She didn't bother holding the noises he drew from her back if anyone interrupted them it would be their own fault.

She cried against his shoulder, each thrust of his hips brought her closer to ecstasy. She choked on her breath as his pace quickened, he was finding it more and more difficult to keep himself under control.

She brought her hands to his face and forced him to look at her, there was a slight orange tint to his golden eyes as he cracked them open. She kissed him softly drawing a low groan from him, she pressed her forehead to his never breaking eye contact. "I trust you,"

His resolve broke like a damn, he buried his face into her chest and slammed into her, thrusting like his life depended on it. Her hips protested as his grip on them tightened to the point of being painful, her screams echoed off the walls and were surely heard throughout the Fortress.

Skin slapped against skin and animalistic growls filled the air, but it wasn't enough for him. He grabbed her thighs roughly and threw them over his shoulders, she wasn't as flexible as she once had been and her right hip popped painfully at the sudden stretch.

She clung to him desperately, trying to ground herself against his assault on her senses. He gripped the sheets near her head so tightly that his normally sepia-toned knuckles were white and his arms shook from the effort of holding himself above her.

She cried out as his pace faltered and he sank lower into her pressing his whole weight against her forcing the air from her lungs. She gripped the back of his head, her fingers wound into the small curls left there, she really missed his long hair.

His breath hitched against her throat and she clung to him harder. "It's okay," She kissed along his jaw and neck. "Don't worry about me,"

His pace faltered again and with a low almost pained groan she felt the warmth of his release seep through her. She rubbed his back gently as he collapsed onto her and murmured soft praises against his ear.

She felt his breathing even as he lifted his head to look at her, his eyes were back to their normal, albeit, dulled gold as the looked her over. He paused at the deep red rapidly forming bruises the shape of his hands on her hips and buried his face back into her hair.

She knew he felt bad, but she also knew he needed some way to let out his pent-up energy, she would rather her be his conduit than someone else. She squirmed so she could reach the blanket that had been shoved to the end of the bed and draped it over them before continuing to gently stroke his hair.

Aeris couldn't tell if Ganondorf was asleep or not when he didn't respond to a soft knock on their door. She cast a sideways glance at him as he let out a deep even breath, his eyes were closed. "What is it Dark?" She was sure to raise her voice just enough for the shadow to hear her.

The door slowly cracked open and young shade entered tentatively. He averted his gaze as he saw that Ganondorf was asleep firmly on top of Aeris and cleared his throat. "The boy has made to the top of the Fortress, he's almost reached the room with the girls,"

"Send the Helmroc King for him," Aeris shifted her hips trying to find a more comfortable position and Ganondorf grunted. "I'll deal with it,"

Dark nodded and fled from the room clearly uncomfortable as he left Aeris sighed and began trying to shimmy her way out from under her husband. "I'll do it," Ganondorf's voice reverberated through Aeris' chest as he spoke suddenly. "Just give me a minute,"

He pushed himself up on shaky arms, he looked exhausted. The pair dressed quickly and Aeris fixed the front of his robe as she noticed it was askew. The warm night air was welcomed for once as they stepped out onto the torch-lit balcony.

A shrill screech filled the air and Aeris shuddered as she remembered the feeling of the Helmroc King's talons wrapped around her. The sound of enormous wings grew closer and it wasn't long before the Helmroc King appeared before them with the boy clasped firmly in his beak.

A feeling of deja vu washed over her as she took in the boy's appearance. A green tunic and hat paired with blond hair and blue eyes made for an uncanny resemblance to a certain hero of old.

The boy's eyes widened in terror as he saw Ganondorf jerk his head to the side moments before the Helmroc King tossed him aside.

Aeris turned to her husband searching his face for any sign of remorse for what he had just done. "Gan,"

"His pirate friends will retrieve him," The coldness in his voice caught her off guard as he turned and entered their room, leaving her alone with a sudden cold breeze.

* * *

A/N: Well, that was fun... I honestly didn't mean for that to get so rough. It was supposed to be a soft moment between husband and wife and for some ungodly reason, it turned into that...

Oh well, it helped me kind of push Ganondorf and Aeris the direction I want them to go so ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯

Anyway Dark is an absolute cutie pie and I love him...


	7. The Dark Side of Ambition

The wind whipped through Aeris' hair as she soared above the waves on the back of the Helmaroc King, she watched the azure sea pass beneath them as she clung to the massive bird's feathers.

"Are you alright?" She turned her gaze just enough to see Dark half immersed in her shadow.

"Not a fan of heights," She turned her gaze back toward the horizon.

"It shouldn't be far now," A chill washed over her as Dark slipped fully back into her shadow.

Aeris wondered how she had ended up in this situation and as always found that she had no answer, just that she would rather this task be left to her. It wasn't that she didn't trust her husband or that she thought she was more suited for the task at hand, once upon a time, in fact, she would have stood to the side and smiled prettily as Ganondorf handled things of this nature, but recently even the simplest of tasks going awry sent him into a blind rage.

This task was far too important for anything to go wrong, their future depended on it, if they had any hope of returning home this mission had to go exactly according to plan. She scanned the horizon, this world was beautiful but it was wrong.

None of this was supposed to exist, there was supposed to be lush grass instead of deep blue waves. The world she had known, the world she belonged in was still under the waves she could feel it.

"Are you ready for this?" She didn't turn when Dark suddenly appeared behind her again.

"How hard can it be to talk an ancient guardian into giving you their most guarded possession?" She laughed dryly as their destination rose from behind the horizon.

A ring of huts surrounding a large lake became visible as they drew closer and Aeris finally glanced back to Dark. "Stay hidden, we don't need the locals getting too spooked,"

The man nodded once and sank into her shadow, Aeris turned her attention back to the approaching island and sighed. Landing on a giant bird was already going to draw unneeded attention and she needed this to go as smoothly as possible.

Her grip on the Helmaroc King's feathers tightened as the massive bird tucked into a steep dive toward the island below. As the ground below got closer the bird slowly extended its wings catching an updraft of air effectively slowing their descent before it gracefully landed just in front of the large lake.

Great Fish Isle home of the water spirit Jabun keeper of Nayru's Pearl was a lively island similar to Windfall and it was only natural that several of the island's inhabitants rushed from their homes brandishing spears as the Helmaroc King landed.

Aeris raised her hands as she slid from the bird's back. "I mean no harm," She kept one hand raised as she fixed her skirt, she was surprisingly glad to be back in a dress similar to the ones she had worn in the desert.

An elderly man stepped forward, the village elder perhaps? "What business do you have here, stranger?" His eyes were the same shade of grey as the stormy seas and they bore into Aeris as she waved the Helmaroc King away.

"I only wish to speak with the Water Spirit Jabun," Wind blasted her back as the Helmaroc King rose back into the air leaving her and her shadow alone on the island.

The old man opened his mouth to speak but the sound of something breaching the water of the lake drew his attention away from Aeris. A large lantern was the first thing to emerge followed by a massive fish.

"_What do you seek, Queen of the Sands?" _Jabun spoke in the lost tongue of Hyrule.

"_You recognize me?" _Aeris stepped toward the edge of the lake leaving the villagers gaping behind her.

"_Your aura is an unmistakable one,"_ Aeris watched the lantern bob back and forth as Jabun spoke.

"_My aura?" _ The villagers were slowly backing away from the strange woman as she directly addressed their guardian in Ancient Hylian.

"_Sadness and woe surround you like a shroud smothering the light that once radiated from you," _A flash of the Desert Colossus's face filled her mind as Jabun spoke conjuring memories she had thought long gone. "_I know what you come to ask,"_

"_Then you can save us both the trouble and just give it to me," _She wasn't in the mood to have her fortune told and the easier this was the happier she would be.

"_You know that I cannot do that," _Aeris sighed, of course, he couldn't.

"_That wasn't the answer I was hoping for," _The Helmaroc King let out a monstrous shriek high above them as the wind picked up intensity. "_Are you sure that you are not willing to negotiate?" _

Lightning cracked against the rapidly darkening sky. "_I can not allow Nayru's Pearl to fall into the wrong hands," _

"_I understand," _Aeris whistled, summoning the Helmaroc King back to her side. "_I am sorry," _ As the monstrous bird landed beside her Dark emerged from her shadow drawing gasps from the islanders as he helped her onto the bird's back. "If you truly hold any divine power I suggest you use it to save these people,"

The first massive bolt of lightning hit the island with enough force to crack its surface and the Helmaroc King rose into the air as the first of the screams rang out into the sea.

Aeris stared blankly at the massive black thunderhead that was quickly enveloping Great Fish Isle. The amount of utter destruction that was being wrought upon the island was devastating, the odds of any of the island's inhabitants escaping were dismal.

"We should head to Forest Haven now," She turned just enough to see Dark's silhouette as he laid a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"No," Aeris turned back to the swirling storm. "There's no point," She had already failed there was no reason to add insult to injury. "Take us back to the Fortress,"

The Helmaroc King let out an ear-piercing shriek and jolted into motion back toward the Forsaken Fortress.

* * *

Aeris swallowed thickly as the Helmaroc King landed on the roof of the Fortress. She slid easily from its back refusing the hand that Dark offered to assist her.

"You've returned earlier than expected," Ganondorf's voice rang through the open air.

Aeris turned to face him trying to keep and air of confidence. "Things didn't quite go according to plan,"

"So I've gathered," The coldness in his voice and face made the hair on Aeris' arms stand on end, he was much to calm.

"We should talk," Aeris moved across the platform toward Ganondorf and grabbed his arm gently, he said nothing as he was lead into the hull of the broken ship.

Neither of them said anything as the door to the chamber closed heavily behind them. Aeris silently began taking off the heavy jewelry she was earing around her wrists and throat, these were the same golden bracelets and necklaces she had worn on that night so long ago.

"How many people lived on that island?" Aeris' breath caught in her throat as she sat the jewelry on a low table. "How many perished because of your failure?"

"I was unaware that I was the only one to blame," She turned toward the large Gerudo male with venom in her voice. "Was it not your hand that conjured the storm?"

Ganondorf chuckled darkly. "I fail to remember you being this incompetent before, one would almost assume that this was deliberate,"

Aeris turned to face him the loose strand of her hair flying around her as she did. "Excuse me?"

"Tell me," He stalked toward her like a predator toward its prey. "Did you ever intend on succeeding to obtain the pearls?"

She stood her ground with her hands balled into tight fists, trembling slightly. "You know the answer to that question,"

"Do I?" He circled her slowly with his hands clasped firmly behind his back.

She followed him with her eyes pushed back the tears that threatened to spill from her. "I want this to be over just as much if not more than you do,"

He paused and cut his eyes toward her. "It's only natural, this is your fault after all,"

Aeris' jaw hit the floor. "My fault?" She failed to hold back the laugh that bubbled up from her chest. "This is my fault?" She pushed past him still giggling. "I seem to recall you being the one that caused all of this," She opened the door and stepped out onto the deck before turning back to Ganondorf.

"And if it wasn't for me, you would be dead... or worse," The door closed behind her and she descended into the darkened fortress.


	8. We're Okay, Right?

The atmosphere in the Fortress held an almost palpable tension as Aeris and Ganondorf skirted around each other, both doing their best to avoid the other. Aeris felt that she deserved an apology and it seemed that Ganondorf was unwilling to provide her with one and neither of them was willing to budge from their stance on the subject.

Nearly two months passed before one of their resolves broke and much to Aeris' surprise in was Ganondorf who broke.

She was standing on one of the watchtowers when Dark appeared behind her. Neither of them said anything for a moment, Dark simply watched Aeris stare out into the stormy sea. "Aeris?"

She continued looking out to the sea. "Tell me something Dark, how far would you go to make things right?"

She heard the man make a small noise. "I'm not sure, I guess it depends on whose definition of right we're talking about,"

The storm that was slowly building on the sea was nothing in comparison to the one churning within Aeris. "Whose indeed," She finally turned to face the shadow she had come to call a friend. "What does he want?"

Dark watched as something behind her green eyes sparked back to life. "How did you?"

"Know he sent you? Call it a wife's intuition," She gave a small smile, the first in days. "So, what does my dear husband want?"

"He didn't say, just that he wants to see you," Aeris nodded, it was a start.

"Lead the way," Aeris followed Dark through the maze-like corridors of the Fortress, not really bothering to paying attention to where he was leading her, there were only so many places he could take her after all.

She turned her head away as they entered the room that contained the spiral staircase that leads to the roof. She couldn't bring herself to look at the large cage in the corner of the room, to look at the girls contained within it.

She had found herself unable to face the girls, but she did pull some strings behind the scenes to make sure that they were being treated well… Not that it did anything to alleviate the guilt she felt.

She noticed Dark cast several glances over his shoulder in her direction as they climbed the stairs, his crimson eyes would quickly scan her then return to the wall or ceiling as if he was afraid of being caught. She sighed deeply, she missed life with the crew of the "Moon Struck". They had been so open with one another, there had been no secrets or hidden thoughts between the crew except for those that she herself had kept.

But at this moment the person she truly missed the most was Nabooru. She desperately wished that she would turn a corner and the woman would be standing there with her hands on her hips waiting to knock some sense into Aeris and Ganondorf both. But, as they reached the top of the stairs they were greeted by nothing but the open air and the sleeping Helmaroc King.

As they came to the ramp that led to the ship Dark stopped and turned to face her, he opened his mouth to say something but shook his head and melted into a puddle melding into the shadows cast by the quickly growing twilight.

Aeris watched the sea churn for a moment before finally heading into the ship and facing her dear husband. As she entered the room Ganondorf was leaning heavily against the open windows facing away from her. She took a few steps into the room and cleared her throat to announce her presence.

"After all these years you still manage to infuriate me whilst still being the person I care for the most in this world," He turned and it was clear as day that he was trying to mask the regret he was feeling, to her at least anyone else would have seen nothing but disdain in his golden eyes.

"I could say the same for you, you know," She joined him by the window staring out into the darkening seas as the sun sank below the horizon.

Minutes passed without either of them saying anything more. The silence was oddly comforting in a way, it reminded her of simpler times when silence was all they needed.

"Something is coming," His eyes never left the horizon as he spoke. "I'm unsure of what, but the winds carry more than a simple breeze tonight,"

Aeris flicked her eyes toward him with a small smile. "You and your winds," She laughed as he chuckled and shook his head, it was nice to see him smile. She gently laid her head against his arm and felt as let out a deep breath as they lapsed into another period of silence.

For a moment everything felt at ease as if they were in their own personal bubble that would never burst… and then the ground shook violently beneath them.

Aeris had to grab Ganondorf's arm to steady herself, and as she looked up to his face she watched the storm clouds begin to build in his eyes. The assault only lasted a moment, but the damage had been done and his terrible mood was on the rebound.

The door to the room burst open and an increasingly worried Dark stumbled through. "It's that kid again!" His crimson eyes flicked from Aeris to Ganondorf, as if he was trying to decide who to give this information to. "He blew open the loading bay doors,"

A low growl built in Ganondorf's chest. "Let him come if he wants to play the part of the hero let him,"

Aeris placed a gentle hand on Ganondorf's shoulder and turned to Dark. "Follow him, never let him out of your sight but don't let him see you," The man nodded and dashed back out of the door. "So much for a light breeze tonight,"

The man beside her simply grunted and continued to stare out the window.

༺═──────────────═༻

Aeris watched as orange and green feathers floated down into the darkened ocean below. She had never been particularly fond of the Helmaroc King but she felt a profound sadness as she watched the feathers dance on the wind. She reached through the open window and gently caught one of the feathers, she pulled it close to her chest and said a silent prayer for the creature's soul if it had one.

She turned to face Ganondorf whose jaw was set in a firm line. "Why is it always children?" His gaze drifted to her and she felt his gaze linger on her bare midriff. "Why is it always those too young to question the orders given to them?" He sounded so worn down as he spoke as if the years were slowly catching up to him.

She tucked the feather into the band holding her hair back. "Link questioned, he questioned everything,"

"So he did," The door opening behind them interrupted anything else he was going to say.

Aeris watched idly as a young boy clad in green entered the room holding a familiar blade in front of him, though there was something off about the blade. Ganondorf smirked as the young boy stepped into the room, though he stayed facing Aeris and away from the door.

"It's been a while, boy. You have done well to sneak into my fortress and wriggle your way all the way up here, I suppose the least I can do is commend you for your reckless Courage. My name is Ganondorf..." The Gerudo man turned toward the young boy and the child took a visible step back. "And I am the master of the Forsaken Fortress,"

The boy steeled himself and cast a quick glance toward Aeris as if he expected her to introduce herself as well, but a dark chuckle from Ganondorf drew his attention away from her. "By the way, boy… When you drew that sword of yours out of its resting place, did you by chance notice how all of the monsters frozen in time down there suddenly began stirring again?"

The boy looked down at his blade stunned by the man before him's words. "Do you understand precisely what that means? I highly doubt you do."

Another dark chuckle left Ganondorf as the boy continued to stare at his blade in disbelief. "Foolish child. While that sword is indeed the blade of evil's bane, at the same time, it has long played another role… You see, it is also a sort of key, a mild annoyance at most that has kept a fraction of my magic locked away. Whether your Sages intended for this to happen I do not know, But, by withdrawing the blade, you have returned me to my full power… For that I am grateful,"

The boy's eyes widened, he had clearly underestimated the foe he would be facing. Aeris watched the boy take a few ragged breaths before assuming a stance ready to attack, she stepped forward to intercept any attack he made but Ganondorf raised his hand, he wanted the boy to see just how hopeless of a fight this would be.

Aeris watched as the boy leaped forward bringing his blade down in a wide arc. She tensed as she readied herself to pull one of them off of the other, but the blow never came. The dulled Master Sword barely glanced off the front of Ganondorf's robe, leaving not a single scratch in its wake.

Aeris didn't have time to react before Ganondorf raised his hand and delivered a brutal backhanded slap that sent the boy tumbling backward. She was too stunned to move as Ganondorf drew his sword and pointed it toward the boy. "That blade is useless to you now, it has long since lost its light. Go back to the world below, and tell your precious sages that its power is gone, and its edges are dull!"

Her body moved before her brain could react as Ganondorf raised his sword ready to strike the boy down. She rushed forward and grabbed his arm tightly, halting the blade while it was still in the air. He turned toward her and a paralyzing wave of deja vu washed over her as he looked down at her with hardened golden eyes.

The wooden walls melded into stone and for a moment she was back in a blood-stained dress desperately gripping his steel-clad arm, praying that she could hold his attention long enough for Impa and Zelda to make their escape. The image was ruined by something slamming into Ganondorf, but Aeris remained frozen waiting for a blow to her stomach that would never come.

The world around her blurred as she curled into herself, her breaths came in short rapid burst as the room around her dissolved into chaos. She was only vaguely aware of someone yelling for Link to get up as a roar from Ganondorf sent her spiraling back into the darkness of her mind.

The acrid stench of bile and dried blood mingled with the dank air as a heavy chill soaked her to the bone. The heavy clinking of metal boots echoed against stone floors, someone was coming. A hand tightened around her throat but she was too weak to fight back. The world began fading to black as golden eyes that once held love and admiration look down at her with disgust and fire burning behind them.

Not a man

A monster.

The sharp bitter smell of fire and smoke filled her senses overpowering her and sending her mind into overdrive.

Were the goats screaming?

Or was that her mother?

She drew her knees up to her chest and buried her face into them, desperately trying to make herself as small as possible as more broken sobs wracked her body.

If she was small enough, they wouldn't notice her, and they would go away.

A voice called her name and she tightened her grip on her knees. It was a trick, a trick to get her to come out of her hiding place, but, she knew better.

She was safe here, they would never find her here.

White-hot tears streamed down her face as the voice drew closer, each breath was a heaving ragged sob that hurt more and more with each passing moment. It was the smoke, she remembered her papa telling her that the smoke was bad for you if you breathe too much of it in.

A large hand gripped her shoulder.

She screamed and lashed out against her captor, but their grip was like iron.

The voice was back trying to calm her this time but the fog around her mind was too thick. She fought against the arms that held her tightly against something soft and warm, arms that were nearly squeezing the life out of her.

The voice was pleading with her, begging her to open her eyes, praying for a sign.

Aeris was too far gone to hear them now, the darkness was pulling her in and she welcomed it like an old friend.


	9. The Endless Darkness of the Sea

A/N: I'M ALIVE!

I am so sorry for disappearing for so long but I have a good excuse I swear! I was studying for the NREMT, which is the national registry exam to become an EMT and I passed! So your dear author is now a certified EMT with a few job interviews lined up, so while I will still be busy my brain is no longer in a semi-permanent state of mush and I should be able to crank out a few updates… which there won't be many more of for this as we are steadily nearing the end.

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There was no slow emergence from the fog of sleep for Aeris, she didn't slowly open her eyes and greet the world with a peaceful smile.

She awoke suddenly and violently.

She bolted upright with a sharp cry struggling against an unseen assailant, the surface she had been laying on capsized and she landed roughly on the hard wooden planks that made up the floor. She laid there staring up at the planked ceiling letting the residual fear flood from her system, she scanned the area above her and found nothing but dark wooden planks and a simple cloth hammock.

The floor seemed to sway under her as she slowly rose to her feet trying to recall falling asleep. The last thing she remembered was watching feathers fall from the sky, everything after that was a hazy blur.

Her head was spinning as she observed her surroundings trying to figure out how she had gotten here. There were no windows and the only source of light were several oil-burning lanterns that lit the walls with a flickering orange glow that was strangely familiar. Several rows of hammocks hung from the ceiling and swayed gently in a nonexistent breeze.

The sound of footsteps descending from the level above her drew her attention to the stairs and she turned toward the sound, hoping that a pair of familiar crimson eyes would greet her. Instead, another familiar face appeared at the bottom of the stairs.

"Adeline?"

The slight raven-haired woman smiled as she approached Aeris. "You scared us," She wrapped Aeris in a tight hug. "Again,"

Aeris returned the smile and hug, welcoming the familiar embrace of a friend. "Did you pull me out of the water again?"

The smile dropped from Adeline's face as she stepped back. "Not exactly, no," She studied Aeris' face for a moment. "Do you not remember how you got here?"

Aeris' brows furrowed as she tried to recall the event leading up to this moment. It was still foggy but she remembered a young boy in green and then nothing but blackness and fear. "It's a bit hazy," She rubbed the back of her head sheepishly.

Adeline smiled softly. "That's alright, it seems like a lot happened all at once, or at least that's how he made it seem,"

Aeris perked up at the mention of another person. "Someone was with me?" It was only natural that she hadn't shown up here alone and in all honesty, it was likey Ganondorf that had gotten them here in the first place. She was still not completely sure how his magic worked, she only knew that it was as powerful as it was volatile.

Adeline nodded. "A man, he hasn't said much but Rasea and Gael have been chomping at the bit to ask him some questions,"

"Take me to him," She realized after she spoke that her words had sounded rather harsh. "Please,"

Adeline nodded. "Of course,"

Aeris followed the woman through the familiar passages of the ship and up onto the deck. Rasea met them at the top of the stairs and pulled Aeris into a tight embrace, it was nice to see the headstrong captain again even if it wasn't under the best circumstances. "We thought you were dead,"

"I'm sorry," Aeris returned the embrace and scanned the deck. She had fond memories of this ship. Even though her time with the crew had been short, a few months at the most, she thought of each of them as a close friend, and the ship its self was almost home to her.

Home…

She felt herself smile softly as her gaze landed on Ganondorf. He was standing on the bow of the ship bathed in the orange glow of the sun setting behind the waves and she knew, just as she had always known, that her home was with him.

She pulled away from Ralusa and smiled at the woman, who resembled Nabooru so closely. "I promise I'll explain as much as I can, but I have to speak with," She flicked her eyes toward Ganondorf, who had turned to face them at the sound of her voice. "Him first,"

Ralusa's eyes narrowed as she followed Aeris' gaze. "Who is he, exactly?"

Aeris smiled softly and patted the captain's shoulder. "I promise that I'll try to explain everything as soon as I can," Ralusa gave her an unsure look before nodding. Aeris had been an enigma to them from the very moment they had pulled her from the sea and it would seem that she was to remain one for a bit longer.

The wooden planks of the ship's deck groaned under Aeris as she made her way across the ship toward Ganondorf. He watched her intently as she drew near, his face to anyone but Aeris would have been unreadable, but she could see the concern swimming behind his golden eyes.

As she came to rest beside him he cupped her face gently in one of his hands. "_You scared me, love," _

Hearing him speak in Gerudo caught her off guard, it had been so long since she heard the language it almost felt foreign to her again. "_My apologies, love. It was not my intention,"_

"_How are you feeling?" _His gaze softened as he scanned her form quickly. "_Better, I presume?" _

She nodded against his hand. "_Much," _She turned to look at Ralusa, the woman was creeping ever closer to them. "_Did you meet the crew?"_

He followed her gaze and creased his brows. "_Briefly, they are… an interesting group," _Ralusa paused under their gaze and pretended to busy herself with a rope that laid coiled on the deck of the ship. "_Your time with them must have been interesting," _

"_Interesting indeed," _Aeris laughed lightly as she noticed Finn and Terrin arguing over something trivial at the back of the ship. "_And Ralusa? Did you speak to her at all?" _

Ganondorf looked toward the Captian of the ship and sighed. "_I have not," _He seemed to think deeply for a moment before adding softly. "_I am unsure of how to speak with her… I thought none of the Gerudo to have survived,"_

Aeris smiled softly and rubbed his arm gently. "_The people were strong, I'm sure more than a few survived. Though, I'm not sure how much of the culture survived," _

The thought of the Gerudo's culture being lost to the ages was painful enough for her, she could only imagine how he felt about it. If any of the culture had survived Ralusa had made no mentions of it and the captain had been just as perplexed as the rest of the crew when Aeris spoke the old language.

"_We could change that you know," _She was surprised when she began speaking, the idea had not occurred to her until it was leaving her mouth. "_We could find an island and any more surviving Vai," _It was a long shot and she was unsure of how many surviving bloodlines there were, but the Gerudo had always been a hearty people. "_We could rebuild," _

"_Rebuild," _Ganondorf's gaze was as far away as his voice, he stared off the side of the ship into the open ocean as he mulled over Aeris' words.

"_It would be like teaching a group of children, but -"_

"Vehvi, I know that word," Aeris and Ganondorf turned toward Ralusa as she suddenly spoke up. "My grandmother, my vaba, called me that when I was little," Her golden eyes were wide with wonder as she approached the pair.

Aeris turned back to Ganondorf with a small smile on her face. "It seems that some of the culture endures,"

"Gerudo, resilient desert flower, facing the sun's gaze. Gerudo grows brilliant while others fade," Aeris recognized the poem as Ganondorf recited it. Nabooru had been particularly fond of it when they were training.

"Gerudo?" Ralusa finally came to rest beside them. "You used to mumble that word in your sleep," She looked down at Aeris and then up to Ganondorf. "What does it mean?"

"People of the sands ever vigilant under the sun's gaze," Aeris smiled as she backed away from her husband and Ralusa. "I'll let you two have a moment,"

"You are as true of a Gerudo as I, love," Ganondorf reached for her and she allowed him to stop her retreat.

"Love?" Ralusa seemed stunned as Aeris intertwined her fingers with Ganondorf's. "I have so many questions," Ralusa raked her hands through the thick ropy strands of her crimson hair. "Who are you two and how do you know this?"

Ganondorf's grip on Aeris' hand tightened and she sighed heavily. "Do you really want to know the answer to that?"

"You promised me answers Aeris, if that's really your name," Ralusa was slowly becoming more and more uneasy.

"I did, but I don't know if you'll like the answer's that you get," Aeris sighed when Ralusa crossed her arms over her chest, determined to get her answers. "Alright, then. My name is Aeris Dragmire and this is my husband," Ralusa's eyes widened as she looked from Aeris to Ganondorf who was staring out to the sea once more.

"Ganondorf Dragmire, King of the Gerudo Desert,"

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Ralusa had reacted exactly how Aeris had expected. Laughter followed by outrage as the captain realized that the woman was serious and that the man standing before her was indeed the boogyman that parents told their children stories about.

Once Aeris had managed to calm her down Ralusa had listened surprisingly intently as Aeris and Ganondorf told their side of the story she had been told for as long as she could remember, and had sat in silence for nearly an hour when the tale was finally complete.

"That is just crazy enough for me to believe," Ralusa raked her fingers through her hair again. "I knew you weren't just some merchant's wife," She chuckled under her breath as she shook her head.

"I'm sorry for lying to you," Aeris truly did regret hiding her identity from the crew of the 'Moon Struck' "I was afraid you'd throw me back into the sea if I told you,"

"I probably would have," Ralusa laughed until she slowly lapsed into silence. "I'm going to need some time to wrap my head around all of this, but you are both welcome to stay here until you decide what to do next,"

Aeris was thankful for Ralusa's kindness, they would need time to devise a plan… if they were even moving forward with a plan at all.

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They stayed with the crew for several weeks, Ganondorf would have rathered move on but Aeris settled easily back into her role amongst the crew, so he was content to stay… For a time.

Aeris was standing on the bow of the ship letting the wind whip through her hair when Ralusa approached her followed closely by Ganondorf. The two hadn't discussed the option of rebuilding the Gerudo any further and Aeris knew in her heart that it would have never worked. There was too much lost to time, too far gone to be retrieved.

"What can I do for you, Captain?" Aeris turned to face the young Gerudo descendant.

"Just want to speak with my Queen," Aeris and Ralusa chuckled, addressing one another by their titles had become a kind of an inside joke between the pair. Ralusa came to rest beside Aeris and they leaned against the rail of the ship together. "I've decided to help you," She paused as Ganondorf silently joined them. "I don't know how much my help is worth, but if there's anything you need or anywhere you need to go, I can get you pretty much anything or anywhere on the Great Sea,"

"That would be helpful if I knew where we were in the first place," Aeris chuckled lightly as she realized that she had no idea where the ship was currently located.

"We're just east of Six-Eye Reef, a strange tower rose from the depths and we wanted to see if there was any loot," Ralusa paused as Ganondorf suddenly turned back toward their conversation. "We haven't gotten close enough to get in yet," Her words fell off as Ganondorf's face twitched into a slight smile.

Aeris gave a small nervous laugh. "I don't suppose you could use a few extra hands plundering could you?"

"That depends, does he work as hard as you do?" Ralusa crossed her arms and smirked toward the large Gerudo male.

"Oh, you have no idea," Aeris laughed as she recalled the days of their youth. Ganondorf had easily outmatched every Gerudo their age and older, except for her of course.

"Well then, we move tonight," Aeris watched as Ralusa moved to ready the crew and she felt Ganondorf tense beside her.

The end was coming.

She could feel it.


	10. This is Everything I Never Wanted

Aeris watched as the sun sank below the horizon from the bow of the 'Moon Struck' while the crew prepared the rowboats for their voyage to the Tower of the Gods. A strong gust of wind blew through her hair and she drew in a deep breath savoring the salty undertones that it carried with it.

She would miss the sea.

At first, she had hated the water and the mist but it had slowly grown on her as it became a part of her daily life, much in the same way that the sand and heat of the desert had when she first came to live there.

"Aeris!" She turned as Ralusa called her name. "The boats are almost ready," The captain was standing near the rail of the ship smiling brightly at the thought of the shiny loot that she was sure the tower held.

"You seem excited," Ralusa was nearly vibrating as Aeris joined the crew.

"Excited," Ralusa barked out a hearty laugh. "Do you know how much artifacts from Hyrule go for?"

"I'm assuming it's a pretty decent amount," Aeris chuckled softly until she noticed Ganondorf standing nearby gripping the rail of the ship. At first glance, she thought he was staring out into the open sea but on closer inspection, he was looking down through the water to the land that was submerged below the waves.

Aeris excused herself and left Ralusa to finish preparing the rowboats. Ganondorf didn't acknowledge her as she approached him but she didn't need him to, she already knew what was on his mind.

She came to rest beside him and leaned lightly against his side. "You're nervous,"

"Nervous? That's redicul-" He paused as he noticed the way she was looking up at him with that little smirk that meant she knew she was right. "An astounding observation." He sighed heavily and shook his head. "How do you know me so well?"

"We've been married for a few millennia, dear" She smiled as he chuckled deeply, he still had no idea just how deeply they were connected or she didn't think he did. He had never let on to knowing what Koume and Kotake had done during their wedding ceremony and she didn't know how to tell him or how he would react to the information.

He caressed the side of her face and she leaned into his hand. "You never cease to amaze me," He kissed her softly and for a moment everything was right in the world.

"Hey lovebirds!" Terrin's voice cut through their bubble of solitude and the pair pulled apart hesitantly. "It's go time!" The blond man jerked his thumb toward the readied rowboats and the rest of the crew who were finishing the last of their preparations.

"You're shaking, love," Aeris barely heard Ganondorf as he leaned to whisper in her ear, but she knew his words were just as true as hers had been. The thought of returning to Hyrule was daunting, they had no way of knowing what was waiting for them below the waves.

"I know," She flashed him a reassuring smile and took his hand to lead him toward the boats.

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The rowboats slid easily through the strangely calm waves toward the massive white tower that rose from the depths. Aeris studied the strange geometric patterns etched into the crisp white marble of the tower's surface, she wondered who had built the tower or when it had been built there had been nothing like the structure in Hyrule that she had known of.

They passed through a set of arches into an open reservoir just before the only entrance to the tower and Aeris felt the air around them change. None of the crew of the 'Moon Struck' seemed to notice but she felt Ganondorf stiffen in the boat behind her and she knew that he had felt it as well.

She pushed back the wave of unease that washed over her and looked over her shoulder toward Ganondorf who was rowing their boat. He nodded gently and settled the oars onto his lap allowing the boat to drift on its own. The rest of the crew continued moving forward unaware that the two of them were no longer following behind them.

It would be easier if they didn't know what was actually going on.

Aeris would miss the crew of the 'Moon Struck', she would miss them greatly but returning home was the only thing on her mind. The boat came to a stop perfectly in the center of the ring of arches and Aeris turned to face Ganondorf. "Are you ready?"

He held his hand out to her and she took it into her own, he pulled her toward him causing the boat to rock precariously. He tucked her against his chest and wrapped his arms around her tightly. "Close your eyes,"

She closed her eyes and buried her face into his robes, the last time he had done something like this she had been unconscious and unaware of what was happening. There was a sudden chill in the otherwise humid air as the wind around them picked up and the hair on her arms stood on end as a sudden crack of lightning lit up the dark sky.

Ganondorf's arms tightened around her as the small rowboat began to spin on the surface of the water, then for the briefest of moments they were weightless and everything ceased to exist. The wind stopped blowing and the sound of the water faded away, leaving only inky darkness around them.

Aeris squeezed her eyes tighter and gripped the front of Ganondorf's robes in her fist as she remembered the last time she felt like this. This same inky blackness had plagued her dreams since the day Ralusa had pulled her from the depths of the Great Sea. She only opened her eyes when a familiar warm breeze brushed across her skin.

Hues of green and blue filled her vision as she slowly opened her eyes and a smile nearly split her face in two as she turned her head and saw white marble arches and blue-shingled rooftops. Hyrule Castle had changed considerably since she had last walked through its halls but there was no mistaking the Hylian architecture.

She leaned her head back and let the warm breeze brush across her face as he maneuvered the boat through the shallow water below them. She wanted to savor this moment for as long as she could, they had so much to do she wasn't sure if she would have another moment like this again.

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Aeris hated waiting.

She didn't consider herself particularly impatient but this was getting tedious. She had been watching Tetra or well now she was Zelda, that was a subject she didn't wish to dwell on for too long, for days. The young girl was simply milling about the chamber that had housed the Master Sword as if she didn't have a care in the world.

The girl, of course, didn't have any idea that she was being watched, or if she did she didn't show any signs of caring.

Ganondorf had left Aeris to watch the newly awakened princess and her piece of the Triforce as well as to wait for the child hero who likely held the third and final piece. Aeris watched idly from her perch atop one of the massive statues as the young girl circled the room observing intricate stained glass windows that depicted the now ancient sages.

Seeing the image of Nabooru after so long had sent a pang through Aeris' chest, seeing her childhood friend and sister immortalized in the vibrant glass only spurred her ambition to return home.

A flash of green caught her attention as the young hero entered the chamber and made a beeline for the girl that was now standing in the center of the room. She watched as Zelda turned to face Link only to be encased in a blinding white light.

Her heart hurt for the young hero as Ganondorf's voice suddenly filled the otherwise silent room taunting the young boy. She continued to watch silently as two Darknuts lept through the open ceiling to confront the child.

If this child was anything like the Link she had known, this would only be a mild obstacle for him.

With practiced ease, the boy dispatched the two foes and turned to leave the room.

"You don't have to do this you know," The boy spun his eyes wide as Aeris suddenly spoke. "You can leave and forget that any of this happened, you still have a chance at a normal life,"

His eyes narrowed and he brandished the revitalized Master Sword, he said nothing as Aeris rose to her feet using the head of the statue to steady herself.

She sighed heavily and shook her head. "Why follow goddesses that put this much responsibility on a child's shoulders?"

The boy widened his stance and furrowed his brows more, her words were falling on deaf ears.

"If you follow this path I can't promise that I will be able to keep you from being harmed, but knowing that you follow it willingly eases my mind, if only a little," She watched as the boy's eyes widened as she stepped backward off of the statue and into the waiting embrace of darkness.

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When she opened her eyes again she was standing in a large circular room, the world around her spun for a moment as she regained her bearings. She shook her head and rubbed the bridge of her nose, her body wasn't used to being subjected to this much magic in such a short amount of time and it was beginning to wear on her.

When her vision finally returned to normal she blinked a few times and crossed the room to the shrouded bed that rested in its center. Ganondorf looked up at her as she pushed aside the gossamer curtains and took his hand from Zelda's forehead. "It will take her body some time to recover from the removal of the Triforce piece it held,"

"I'll keep an eye on her," Aeris slid easily into the bed next to the girl and pulled her head into her lap and began stroking the girl's blonde hair softly and found herself singing the same lullaby that she had once sung to Link.

As the song ended Ganondorf laid a gentle hand on her head. "You would have been an amazing mother,"

She froze as he spoke, it had been so long since she thought of the child. They had never spoken of the loss and she tried her best to shove the painful memories away. She opened her mouth to respond but was interrupted by the door to the room swinging open.

She took a shuddering breath and pulled the girl in her lap closer as the young hero crossed the room toward them. She held out her hand as a look of determination crossed the young boy's face and he readied his blade. "Wait!"

There was no need for violence if they could only explain their intentions, this could be ended before it ever began.

"Do not be so hasty, boy…" Aeris turned to Ganondorf as she settled himself on the edge of the bed next to her and placed his hand on Zelda's forehead. "I can see this girl's dreams. Oceans as far as the eye can see. They are vast seas… None can swim across them, they yield no fish to catch,"

Ganondorf took one of Aeris' hands into his own and squeezed it gently. "What did the king of Hyrule say? That the gods sealed Hyrule away?" His grip tightened before he suddenly rose to his feet. "And they left behind people who would one day awaken Hyrule!" She could feel the rage rolling off of him in waves. "How ridiculous.."

"So many pathetic creatures, scattered across a handful of islands, drifting on this sea like fallen leaves on a forgotten pool. What can they possibly hope to achieve?" Aeris pulled Zelda even closer as an unnatural wind suddenly picked up. "Don't you see? All of you…"

Aeris' eyes widened as a familiar orange glow crept into Ganondorf's eyes and his hands balled into fists. "YOUR GODS DESTROYED YOU!"

He was shaking with rage as he continued. "I have been waiting for you, boy. For one like you… Yes… For the hero,"

Aeris reached for Ganondorf but drew her hand back as he suddenly grinned wickedly.

"Do not betray my expectations."

This wasn't the plan.

Aeris sent a panicked look toward the young hero as Ganondorf suddenly began changing shape.

This was not the plan.

She felt the familiar pull of magic and tightened her grip on the girl in her lap the shield her from harm as the world suddenly went black.


	11. Cursed Winds

The sudden chill of wind hitting her face and the nausea of being suddenly moved through space against her will left Aeris struggling to breathe. She kept the small girl in her arms cradled close to her chest as she slowly cracked her eyes open, the sudden exposure to the harsh rays of the sun that filtered through the water above them caused her to hiss in pain.

She gave herself a moment to adjust to their new surroundings before opening her eyes again. They appeared to be at the top of the tower, she wasn't sure why Ganondorf had sent them here but she wasn't sure about anything he was doing anymore.

She scanned the area around her and sighed, there didn't appear to be any way down from the tower and she didn't want to leave the unconscious girl alone to go and search for a way down. The girl in her arms made a soft sound but showed no signs of awakening anytime soon, if she would wake at all. The removal of her piece of the Triforce had left her more drained than they had anticipated.

The air crackled and Aeris pulled the young girl further into her grasp as Ganondorf stepped out of a rift in the air. He glanced at them but said nothing as he turned to look over the once flooded land around them. She wanted to reach out to him, to question him, but something in the back of her mind told her not to.

Something was very wrong.

A sound at the far edge of the tower pulled her attention away from Ganondorf and she turned just in time to see the young hero appear. A look of pure determination was visible plain as day on the young boy's face as he made his way toward them with the Master Sword held before him.

"My country lay within a vast desert," Aeris' head whipped toward Ganondorf as he suddenly spoke. "When the sun rose into the sky, a burning wind punished my lands, searing the world. And when the moon climbed into the dark of night, a frigid gale pierced our homes, no, matter when it came, the wind carried the same thing…"

Aeris's eyes widened as he spoke those same bitter words as he had the night of Daphnes's execution.

"Death,"

She sent a panicked glace toward Link silently begging the boy to stop his advance. The boy had stopped for the moment, he watched as Ganondorf spoke clearly confused by the speech.

"But, the winds that blew across the green fields of Hyrule brought something other than suffering and ruin." Demise had warped Ganondorf's desire to better the lives of the Gerudo and had left a black stain on his soul. "I coveted that wind, I suppose." He slowly turned toward the young hero with the same orange hatred burning in his eyes that plagued Aeris's nightmares.

"It can only be called fate… That here, I again gather the three with the crests,"

Bile rose in Aeris's throat as a cruel grin spread across Ganondorf's face, the same that had marred his face as he watched her drive her dagger into Link's chest. "That I should lay my hand on that which grants the wishes of the beholder… That when power, wisdom, and courage come together, the gods would have no choice but to come down…"

His voice slowly deepened as he spoke, warping into something dark and twisted that she barely recognized. "The power of the gods, the Triforce!" The girl in Aeris's arms stirred as Ganondorf's voice rose. "He who touches it will have whatever he desires granted!"

Something moving on the edge of Aeris's vision drew her attention toward the young hero. There was something off about the boy, but she couldn't quite put her finger on what it was.

"Already, the crest of wisdom is mine… All that remains…"

A small cry left Aeris as Ganondorf suddenly lunged forward and backhanded the young hero knocking his blade from his hands, the Master Sword arced through the air and landed beside Aeris with its blade lodged firmly into the stone of the tower's roof. She stared at the blade and the fight in front of her faded from her mind, she could take the blade and end this all now. All she needed was an opening.

"Now, let us put an end to that which binds us together!" Her head snapped toward Ganondorf her heart in her throat, but he wasn't talking to her. The hero hung limply in his grasp and she watched as the Triforce was summoned.

She had to shield her eyes as the three pieces soared into the air before coming together in a flash of blinding light and returned to the top of the tower. The power radiating from the golden grace was palpable as she stared at it awestruck.

"Gods! Hear that which I desire! Expose this land to the rays of the sun once more! Let them burn forth!" Ganondorf's voice was little more than a demonic growl. "GIVE HYRULE TO ME!"

Aeris reached out just as Ganondorf raised his hand to touch the Triforce, but a flash of red and something black darting from the collapsed hero's body stopped her, liquid shadow raced across the ground and manifested into a familiar face behind the man that was now standing between Ganondorf and the Triforce with their arm outstretched to touch it. She watched horrified as Dark's blade sprouted out of the front of the man's chest.

There was a palpable silence as Dark pulled the blade from the man and his body collapsed to the ground in a broken heap. Aeris pulled her gaze from the man and toward Ganondorf who was standing with his arm still extended toward the Triforce, a deep chuckle suddenly left his lips and grew until it was the laugh of a broken man.

"Aeris!" Dark calling her name cut through the air, pulling her from her stupor. "Take it!"

She cast one last glance at Ganondorf before gently laying the girl's head down and rising from her place. She walked calmly across the tower's roof and touched Ganondorf's shoulder as she passed him, halting his laughter. A low hum filled the silence as she approached the Triforce she smiled softly at Dark as she passed him, silently thanking him.

Her fingers buzzed as she reached for the three golden triangles and power shot up her arm as she gently touched the golden surface. Her vision blanked for a moment as the power of the Triforce washed over her and three ethereal voices whispered in her mind.

"_What do you desire, child?" _

Everything moved in slow motion as she fought through the fog to turn and face Ganondorf, Dark was struggling to hold the man back as he reached for her with a crazed look in his eyes and roar building in his throat.

"I wish to return home," She turned back to the Triforce. "To go back to before all this began," She spoke louder as the hum in her ears grew in volume. "If the gods see fit to grant me this one desire I swear to do everything in my power to see that things are made right,"

The hum grew loud enough to drown out everything around her and a large hand wrapped around her neck just as the world exploded into white light.


	12. Epilogue

"_What do you desire, child?" _

_Aeris struggled to find the source of the ethereal voices that echoed through the dense fog around her. Golden light burned through the fog revealing three figures standing before her._

"_What do you desire, child?" Three voices perfectly harmonized as they cut through the fog again nearly sounding like one united voice. _

_Her fingers buzzed with power sending shockwaves up her arm. She brought her hand up to her face and watched as three golden triangles floated above her palm twisting around each other until they formed a familiar shape. _

"_I- I want-" A hand touched her shoulder from behind and reached around her to softly trace her jaw silencing her reply. _

"_Don't lie," A new voice echoed from behind her, deep gravely and… familiar. "What do you truly desire little one?" _

_She thought for a moment as sharp claws traced her jaw. _

_What did she want?_

_The claw tracing her jaw pressed harder against her skin until something warm and wet trailed down her throat. _

"_I want to be happy," _

_The hand around her jaw tightened its grip and a puff of hot breath ghosted across her ear. _

**"****_Wrong Answer," _**

༺═──────────────═༻

Aeris's hands flew to her throat as she woke struggling against fantom fingers she could still feel gripping her neck. She thrashed blindly against a weight that was keeping her legs held in place, kicking desperately trying to push whatever was on top of her off. She screamed as a pair of large arms wrapped around her and pulled her tightly against something hard and warm. She twisted violently trying to free herself from the iron grip around her middle but the grip tightened almost to the point of forcing the air from her lungs.

"Aeris, stop," She froze as a familiar voice cut through the panic-induced fog around her mind. "Calm down,"

Her breath came in heaving gasps as she calmed enough to take in her surroundings. The rich sweetness of jasmine incense and the soft plushness of the pillows and blankets under her helped to ease her mind. She brought her hands up to grip one of the strong arms wrapped around her taking in the deep sepia tone of the skin as she ran her fingers over the smooth contours of the thick bands of muscle.

"Just breathe," She flinched as a soft kiss was pressed against her temple. "Breathe, love,"

She took a few deep breaths and flicked her eyes around the room finding things to ground herself. The red carpet, the tan bricks, the serpentine statues, the cool air against her bare skin… his arms wrapped around her…

She slowly turned to look over her shoulder and made a sound somewhere between a laugh and a sob as she met clear golden eyes under thick crimson brows furrowed with concern. She smiled wider than she had in ages and twisted to fling her arms around his shoulders.

She pulled back and gripped his face between her hands smiling like a madwoman as she peppered his face with soft kisses. He watched her with a mixture of confusion and concern as she threw her head back and laughed, pure delight bubbled from her chest replacing the obvious anxiety that had been there only moments before.

She pulled herself from his grasp once her laughter died down and jumped to her feet not caring about the blanket falling from her leaving her bare to the world. She spun happily her black curls flying around her until she stopped, slightly dizzy but still managed to do a happy little dance that made him join in her laughter.

She stopped regained her bearings and dashed to the pile of neatly folded clothes that the Gerudo had left for them the day before. She grabbed the simple teal robe with traditional Gerudo geometric designs stitched into the hems and threw it around her shoulders and quickly tied it before dashing toward the doors.

She stopped halfway down the stairs and turned to rush back to him, she caught his face between her hands and kissed him fiercely. Her lips lingered against his reveling in the peace she found there. She gave him a crooked little grin as she finally pulled away. "I love you,"

He opened his mouth to reply but she was already halfway across the room again.

She burst through the massive doors of the Spirit Temple startling a few unsuspecting Gerudo who were busy picking up after the previous day's festivities. She paused letting the already harsh rays of the sun beat down on her skin before turning to the two women. "Sav'otta!"

The two women laughed as Aeris rushed down the steps the short train of her robe fluttering behind her as she went. She moved through the tents as quickly as she could with no real destination in mind until she barreled into Nabooru nearly knocking the woman off of her feet.

"Nabs!" She flung her arms around her best friend's shoulders squealing with delight.

"Whoa!" Nabooru had to lift Aeris and spin with her momentum to keep from falling over. "We weren't expecting to see you out and about this early,"

Aeris smiled brightly as she squeezed Nabooru's face in between her hands. "I love you,"

Nabooru laughed softly. "I love you too," She lowered the woman in her arms back to the ground. "It seems like marriage agrees with you after all,"

"I think it does," Aeris smiled hopefully before quickly changing the subject. "Where's mom?"

"Mom?" Nabooru quirked her eyebrow as Aeris bounced from foot to foot. "She's packing up your tent I think, wh-"

"Thanks Nabs!" Aeris was already dashing off in the direction Nabooru had directed her in, leaving the woman to shake her head softly and continue with the chores she had been assigned.

Aeris moved through the rows of tent cheerfully greeting each Gerudo she came across with a smile and wave until she was standing before the tent that she had stayed in the night before the wedding. She pushed through the partially opened flaps and paused as she saw Urora folding a random piece of clothing.

Aeris rushed toward her adoptive mother and pulled her into a crushing embrace knocking the article of clothing from her hands as she did.

"Aeris?" The woman brought her arms up to return Aeris's embrace.

"Thank you," She buried her face into Urora's shoulder.

Urora pulled back and brought her hand up to tilt Aeris's face toward her and wiped a tear away from her daughter's cheek. "What's wrong, vehvi?"

"Nothing's wrong," Aeris smiled softly. "I just don't think I've ever thanked you before,"

"For what, vehvi?" Truth be told Urora had never expected thanks from either of the daughters she had been given, they were hers whether by blood or not.

"For everything," Aeris rested her head against Urora's chest and smiled. "I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you,"

"No," Urora pushed Aeris away from her and moved to square the woman's shoulders before tilting her head up high. "You are a strong Vai, you are where are because you put yourself there,"

"See, that's what I was talking about," Aeris smiled again and held her head where Urora had left it. "You're the one that pushed me to be strong,"

"Well, I won't argue with that," The two of them laughed for a moment before Urora swatted the back of Aeris's head unexpectedly causing her to choke on a laugh. "Now, what are you doing here? Go!" Urora pushed Aeris toward the open flaps of the tent. "Be with your husband!"

Aeris nodded softly and moved to leave the tent but paused just before ducking through the door. "Urora," The woman put her hands on her hips and questioned Aeris without speaking. "I love you,"

Urora smiled softly. "I love you too, vehvi,"

Aeris ducked out of the tent and ran directly into something hard, she looked up and came face to face with those clear golden eyes she loved so much.

"There you are," His voice was just as she remembered it, deep and warm without any of the undertones that plagued her nightmares.

"Here I am," She smiled wistfully until the smile fell from her face and she took one of Ganondorf's hands into her own. "Come with me,"

He didn't question her as she guided him through the rows of tents back toward the temple. To anyone they passed, they looked just like any young couple eager to spend as much time as they could with one another, but Aeris had other things on her mind.

She led him up and into the temple but didn't stop in the entrance hall, she led him deeper into the temple constantly searching for any signs of Koume and Kotake's corruption. With every step they took her heart grew a little lighter, the golden bricks seemed untainted and there were no signs of any monsters within the halls.

"Aeris, where are we going?" He sounded more intrigued than concerned and she was happier for it.

"Just trust me," She smiled up at him and turned back to the winding halls before them.

She didn't stop until they came to a room deep within the temple, a long room lined with columns and a faded crimson rug.

"I need to tell you something," She led him into the center of the room before stopping and turning to face him. "But, I need you to promise me that you will listen to me,"

He looked around them and nodded slowly. "Of course,"

She took a deep breath and ran a shaky hand through her ebony curls. "You can't trust Koume and Kotake,"

He recoiled from her clearly confused by the statement. "Why do you say that?"

"I have proof," She licked her lips nervously. "I just hope it's enough to convince you," She reached up to undo the clasp on the necklace that Koume and Kotake had given her and held it softly in the palm of her hand, she watched it for a moment before the center of the green gem suddenly bloomed with an inky blackness.

She held the necklace out to him by the chain. "Here,"

He held out his hand and she let the chain slide from her grip to pool into his open palm. He closed his fingers around it and almost immediately dropped the piece of jewelry as if it had burned him.

He looked at her with wide eyes and parted lips. "I don't," He looked back down to the necklace. "I don't understand,"

"I'm not sure I do either," It was the truth. There were bits and pieces that jumbled together into an indecipherable mess, but the base of the tale was there. "But, there's more,"

She reached for his hand and gently pulled it toward her, she ran her fingers over his trying to think of the best way to tell him what came next. She finally decided on simply laying his hand on her chest.

A moment passed, then another, and another, before he slowly pulled his hand away and gently brought it up to cup her cheek. His brows were furrowed as he looked down at her. "After all of that?"

She gave him a crooked little grin. "After all of that,"

He took her hand in his and turned to lead her from the temple. They walked through the halls hand in hand until they emerged from the hallowed halls and stepped out into the sun-drenched sands of the desert they called home.


End file.
